Johnny Cash

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Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash, famously known as the Man in Black, is an American country-rock singer/songwriter. He has sold more than 50 million copies of his albums making him one of the most influential artist in America's music industry.

Contents

[edit] About

Born J.R. Cash to parents Ray and Carrie Cash on February 26, 1932 in Kingsland, Arkansas but was raised in Dyess, AR. Report says that his parents gave him J.R. because they can't agree on what name they would give him, only initials. That situation is common during that time. He began singing at the tender age of five with his family while working in the cotton fields. He and his family struggled to survive during the Depression which eventually became his inspiration in writing songs.


After graduating from college in 1950, he moved to Detroit and shortly worked in an automobile factory for a short period of time. After his job at the auto factory, enlisted in the US Air Force during the Korean war outbreak. Before joining, he changed his name to John R. Cash because the military doesn't accept initials as first name. While serving in the US Air Force, he bought a guitar and taught himself how to play it. After four years, he left the Air Force and married Vivian Leberto before moving to Memphis.


He auditioned to Sun Records, turning him down at first. He returned with a new sound, playing Hey Porter which also became his first single after he caught the attention of Sam Phillips, founder of the said record. Johnny Cash moved to Columbia Records where he was offered a higher deal. His first single from Columbia, Don't Take Your Guns to Town became one of his biggest selling hits.


He started to become a drug user which led to the divorce of his marriage to Vivian by 1966. He continued to becoe addicted with amphetamines and barbiturates but he fought hard and eventually became successful in staying away from it with the help of fellow singer and future wife, June Carter. They got married in 1968. He moved from Columbia to Mercury then finally to American Recordings.


Johnny Cash has won a total of 32 awards in his career and released successful albums in his 50 years. Aside fro being a singer, he also starred in some movies, appeared in TV shows and published books where one of it is his autobiography (Man in Black: His Own Story in His Own Words (1975)). In 1997, he was diagnosed with a rare case of disease which was a complication from his diabetes called Shy-Drager syndrome. He was hospitalized due to severe pneumonia and while he was ill, he wrote songs that was later compiled in the albums namely, American III: Solitary Man (2000) and American IV: The Man Comes Around (2002). His wife, June Carter Cash underwent a heart valve surgery but unfortunately resulted to a complication which led to her death on the 15th of May 2003. Following the death of his wife, Johnny Cash's condition came to worst. On 12th day of September, the same year, Johnny Cash died of complications from his diabetes. Two years after his death, his first wife Vivian Leberto also died from surgery in the process of removing her lung cancer.


His legacy continues up to this day. He continues to inspire and influence old and new artists of today.

[edit] Awards and Certifications

Awards Won

Year Award Category
2004 Grammy Award Best Music Video, Short Form for "Hurt" shared with Mark Romanek; Aris McGarry
2003 Grammy Award Best Country Vocal Performance - Male for "Give My Love To Rose"
2003 Irving Waugh Award of Excellence
2003 CMT Special Achievement Award
2003 Country Music Association Award Music Video of the Year for "Hurt"
2003 Country Music Association Award Single of the Year for "Hurt"
2003 Country Music Association Award Album of the Year for "American IV: The Man Comes Around"
2001 Grammy Award Best Male Country Vocal Performance for "Solitary Man"
1999 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
1998 Grammy Award Best Country Album for "Unchained"
1995 Grammy Award Best Contemporary Folk Album for "American Recordings"
1992 Grammy Legend Award
1992 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Performer
1991 ACM Pioneer Award
1989 Golden Boot
1987 Grammy Award Best Spoken Word Or Non-Musical Recording for "Interviews From The Class Of '55 Recording Sessions" shared with Carl Perkins; Jerry Lee Lewis; Roy Orbison; Sam Phillips
1986 Academy of Country Music Award Single Record of the Year for "Highwayman" shared with Willie Nelson; Waylon Jennings; Kris Kristofferson
1977 Award of Merit
1972 Dove Award Backliner Notes for "Light"
1971 Grammy Award Best Country Vocal Performance By a Duo or Group for "If I Were a Carpenter" shared with June Carter-Cash
1971 Academy of Country Music Award TV Personality
1970 Grammy Award Best Album Notes for "Nashville Skyline"
1970 Grammy Award Best Country Vocal Performance, Male for "A Boy Named Sue"
1969 Country Music Association Award Entertainer of the Year
1969 Country Music Association Award Male Vocalist of the Year
1969 Grammy Award Best Album Notes for "Johnny Cast at Folsom Prison"
1969 Grammy Award Best Country Vocal Performance, Male for "Folsom Prison Blues"
1969 Country Music Association Award Vocal Group of the Year shared with June Carter-Cash
1969 Country Music Association Award Album of the Year for "Johnny Cash San Quentin Prison"
1969 Country Music Association Award Single of the Year for "A Boy Named Sue"
1968 Grammy Award Best Country and Western Performance Duet, Trio Or Group (Vocal Or Instrumental) for "Jackson" shared with June Carter
1968 Country Music Association Award Album of the Year for "Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison"

'Awards Nominated Awards Won

Year Award Category
2007 CMT Music Award Wide Open Country Video of the Year for "God's Gonna Cut You Down"
2006 American Music Award Favorite Country Album for "The Legend of Johnny Cash"
2005 Grammy Award Best Country Vocal Performance - Male for "Engine One-Forty-Three"
2005 Grammy Award Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for "Redemption Song" shared with Joe Strummer
2004 Academy of Country Music Award Video of the Year for "Hurt" shared with Aris McGarry; Mark Romanek
2004 Dove Award Special Event Album of the Year for "Mansion Over The Hilltop" shared with The Crabb Family; Nate Cole; Cathy Cole; The Cathedrals
2004 Grammy Award Best Country Collaboration with Vocals for "Temptation" shared with June Carter Cash
2003 MTV Video Music Award Best Male Video for "Hurt"
2003 MTV Video Music Award Video of the Year for "Hurt"
2003 Country Music Association Award Vocal Event of the Year for "Tears in the Holston River" shared with Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
2003 Grammy Award Best Country Collaboration with Vocals for "Bridge Over Troubled Water" shared with Fiona Apple
2003 Grammy Award Best Cotemporary Folk Album for "American IV: The Man Comes Around"
2002 Grammy Award Best Country Vocal Performance - Male for "I Dreamed About Mama Last Night"
1998 Grammy Award Best Country Vocal Performance - Male for "Rusty Cage"
1995 Grammy Award Best Country Collaboration with Vocals for "The Devil Comes Back to Georgia" shared with Marty Stuart; Travis Tritt
1994 Country Music Association Award Vocal Event of the Year shared with Mark O'Connor; Marty Stuart; Charlie Daniels
1991 Country Music Association Award Vocal Event of the Year shared with Willie Nelson; Kris Kristofferson; Waylon Jennings
1990 Country Music Association Award Vocal Event of the Year shared with Willie Nelson; Kris Kristofferson; Waylon Jennings
1989 Country Music Association Award Vocal Event of the Year shared with Hank Williams, Jr.
1989 Country Music Association Award Vocal Event of the Year shared with Rosanne Cash; The Everly Brothers
1986 Academy of Country Music Award Album of the Year for "Highwayman" shared with Willie Nelson; Waylon Jennings; Kris Kristofferson
1986 Academy of Country Music Award Video of the Year for "Highwayman" shared with Willie Nelson; Waylon Jennings; Kris Kristofferson
1985 Country Music Association Award Single of the Year for "Highwayman" shared with Willie Nelson; Waylon Jennings; Kris Kristofferson
1985 Country Music Association Award Music Video of the Year for "Highwayman" shared with Willie Nelson; Waylon Jennings; Kris Kristofferson
1973 Grammy Award Best Country Vocal Performance By a Duo or Group for "If I Had a Hammer" shared with June Carter-Cash
1972 Grammy Award Best Country Vocal Performance By a Duo or Group for "No Need to Worry"shared with June Carter-Cash
1972 Academy of Country Music Award TV Personality
1971 Academy of Country Music Award Band of the Year - Touring shared with Tennessee Three
1971 Country Music Association Award Vocal Duo of the Year shared with June Carter-Cash
1971 Academy of Country Music Award Entertainer of the Year
1971 Academy of Country Music Award Song of the Year for "Sunday Morning Comin' Down"
1971 Grammy Award Best Country Vocal Performance - Male for "Sunday Morning Coming Down"
1970 Country Music Association Award Male Vocalist of the Year
1970 Academy of Country Music Award Single Record of the Year for "A Boy Named Sue"
1970 Country Music Association Award Entertainer of the Year
1970 Academy of Country Music Award Song of the Year for "A Boy Named Sue"
1970 Country Music Association Award Vocal Duo of the Year shared with June Carter-Cash
1970 Academy of Country Music Award Top Male Vocalist
1970 Country Music Association Award Album of the Year for "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash"
1970 Grammy Award Record of the Year for "A Boy Named Sue"
1970 Grammy Award Album of the Year for "Johnny Cash at San Quentin"
1970 Academy of Country Music Award Album of the Year for "Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison"
1969 Country Music Association Award Single of the Year for "Daddy Sang Bass"
1968 Country Music Association Award Entertainer of the Year
1968 Country Music Association Award Male Vocalist of the Year
1968 Country Music Association Award Vocal Group of the Year shared with June Carter-Cash
1968 Country Music Association Award Single of the Year for "Folsom Prison Blues"
1967 Country Music Association Award Vocal Group of the Year shared with June Carter-Cash
1966 Academy of Country Music Award Top Male Vocalist

[edit] Chart Toppers

Year Song US Singles Chart US Country US AC US Modern Rock UK Singles Chart
1955 Cry! Cry! Cry! ~ 14 ~ ~ ~
1956 Folsom Prison Blues ~ 4 ~ ~ ~
1956 Get Rhythm ~ 1 ~ ~ ~
1956 I Walk the Line 17 1 ~ ~ ~
1956 So Doggone Lonesome ~ 4 ~ ~ ~
1957 Don't Make Me Go ~ 9 ~ ~ ~
1957 Give My Love to Rose ~ 13 ~ ~ ~
1957 Home of the Blues 88 3 ~ ~ ~
1957 Next in Line 99 9 ~ ~ ~
1957 There You Go ~ 1 ~ ~ ~
1957 Train of Love ~ 7 ~ ~ ~
1958 All Over Again 38 4 ~ ~ ~
1958 Ballad of a Teenage Queen 14 1 ~ ~ ~
1958 Big River 14 4 ~ ~ ~
1958 Come in Stranger 66 6 ~ ~ ~
1958 Guess Things Happen That Way 11 1 ~ ~ ~
1958 What Do I Care 52 7 ~ ~ ~
1958 You're the Nearest Thing to Heaven 24 5 ~ ~ ~
1958 The Ways of a Woman in Love 24 2 ~ ~ ~
1959 Don't Take Your Guns to Town 32 1 ~ ~ ~
1959 Five Feet High and Rising 76 14 ~ ~ ~
1959 Frankie's Man, Johnny 57 9 ~ ~ ~
1959 Goodbye Little Darlin' ~ 22 ~ ~ ~
1959 I Got Stripes 43 4 ~ ~ ~
1959 It's Just About Time 47 30 ~ ~ ~
1959 Katy Too 66 11 ~ ~ ~
1959 Luther Played the Boogie ~ 8 ~ ~ ~
1959 Thanks a Lot ~ 12 ~ ~ ~
1959 You Dreamer You ~ 13 ~ ~ ~
1959 Little Drummer Boy 63 24 ~ ~ ~
1960 Down the Street to 301 85 ~ ~ ~ ~
1960 I Love You Because ~ 20 ~ ~ ~
1960 Mean Eyed Cat ~ 30 ~ ~ ~
1960 Seasons of My Heart ~ 10 ~ ~ ~
1960 Second Honeymoon 79 15 ~ ~ ~
1960 Smiling Bill McCall ~ 13 ~ ~ ~
1960 Straight A's in Love 84 16 ~ ~ ~
1961 Oh Lonesome Me 93 13 ~ ~ ~
1961 Tennessee Flat-Top Box 84 11 ~ ~ ~
1961 The Rebel - Johnny Yuma ~ 24 ~ ~ ~
1962 Bonanza 94 ~ ~ ~ ~
1962 In the Jailhouse Now ~ 8 ~ ~ ~
1962 The Big Battle ~ 24 ~ ~ ~
1963 Busted ~ 13 ~ ~ ~
1963 Ring of Fire 17 1 ~ ~ ~
1963 The Matador 44 2 ~ ~ ~
1964 Bad News ~ 8 ~ ~ ~
1964 Dark as a Dungeon ~ 49 ~ ~ ~
1964 It Ain't Me, Babe 58 4 ~ ~ 28
1964 Understand Your Man 35 1 ~ ~ ~
1964 The Ballad of Ira Hayes ~ 3 ~ ~ ~
1965 Mister Garfield ~ 15 ~ ~ ~
1965 Orange Blossom Special 80 3 ~ ~ ~
1965 The Sons of Katie Elder ~ 10 ~ ~ ~
1966 Boa Constrictor ~ 39 ~ ~ ~
1966 Everybody Loves a Nut 96 17 ~ ~ ~
1966 Happy to Be with You ~ 9 ~ ~ ~
1966 The One on the Right Is on the Left 46 2 ~ ~ ~
1967 Jackson ~ 2 ~ ~ ~
1967 Long-Legged Guitar Pickin' Man ~ 6 ~ ~ ~
1967 You Beat All I Ever Saw ~ 20 ~ ~ ~
1967 The Wind Changes ~ 60 ~ ~ ~
1968 Folsom Prison Blues 32 1 ~ ~ ~
1968 Rosanna's Going Wild 91 2 ~ ~ ~
1969 Blistered 50 4 ~ ~ ~
1969 Daddy Sang Bass 42 1 ~ ~ ~
1969 Get Rhythm 60 23 ~ ~ ~
1969 See Ruby Fall 75 4 ~ ~ ~
1969 A Boy Named Sue 2 1 1 ~ 4
1970 Big River ~ 41 ~ ~ ~
1970 If I Were a Carpenter 36 2 ~ ~ ~
1970 Rock Island Line 93 35 ~ ~ ~
1970 Sunday Morning Coming Down 46 1 ~ ~ ~
1970 What Is Truth 19 3 4 ~ 21
1971 Flesh and Blood 54 1 ~ ~ ~
1971 Man in Black 58 3 ~ ~ ~
1971 Papa Was a Good Man ~ 16 ~ ~ ~
1971 Singin' in Vietnam Talkin' Blues ~ 18 ~ ~ ~
1972 If I Had a Hammer ~ 29 ~ ~ ~
1972 Kate 75 2 ~ ~ ~
1972 Oney ~ 2 ~ ~ ~
1972 A Thing Called Love ~ 2 ~ ~ 4
1972 The World Needs a Melody ~ 35 ~ ~ ~
1973 Allegheny ~ 69 ~ ~ ~
1973 Any Old Wind That Blows ~ 3 ~ ~ ~
1973 Praise the Lord and Pass the Soup ~ 57 ~ ~ ~
1974 Pick the Wildwood Flower ~ 34 ~ ~ ~
1974 Ragged Old Flag ~ 31 ~ ~ ~
1975 Lady Came from Baltimore ~ 14 ~ ~ ~
1975 Look at Them Beans ~ 17 ~ ~ ~
1975 My Old Kentucky Home (Turpentine and Dandelion Wine) ~ 42 ~ ~ ~
1976 One Piece at a Time 29 1 6 ~ 32
1976 Sold Out of Flagpoles ~ 29 ~ ~ ~
1976 Strawberry Cake ~ 54 ~ ~ ~
1977 After the Ball ~ 32 ~ ~ ~
1977 Lady ~ 46 ~ ~ ~
1977 Old Time Feeling ~ 26 ~ ~ ~
1977 The Last Gunfighter Ballad ~ 38 ~ ~ ~
1978 Gone Girl ~ 44 ~ ~ ~
1978 I Would Like to See You Again ~ 12 ~ ~ ~
1978 It'll Be Her ~ 89 ~ ~ ~
1978 There Ain't No Good Chain Gang ~ 2 ~ ~ ~
1979 (Ghost) Riders in the Sky ~ 2 ~ ~ ~
1979 I Will Rock and Roll with You ~ 21 ~ ~ ~
1979 I'll Say It's True ~ 42 ~ ~ ~
1980 Bull Rider ~ 66 ~ ~ ~
1980 Cold Lonesome Morning ~ 53 ~ ~ ~
1980 I Wish I Was Crazy Again ~ 22 ~ ~ ~
1980 Song of the Patriot ~ 54 ~ ~ ~
1980 The Last Time ~ 85 ~ ~ ~
1981 Mobile Bay ~ 60 ~ ~ ~
1981 Without Love ~ 78 ~ ~ ~
1981 The Baron ~ 10 ~ ~ ~
1982 Chattanooga City Limit Sign ~ 71 ~ ~ ~
1982 The General Lee ~ 26 ~ ~ ~
1982 The Reverend Mr. Black ~ 71 ~ ~ ~
1983 I'm Ragged But I'm Right ~ 75 ~ ~ ~
1983 We Must Believe in Magic ~ 84 ~ ~ ~
1984 Chicken in Black ~ 45 ~ ~ ~
1986 Even Cowgirls Get the Blues ~ 35 ~ ~ ~
1987 The Night Hank Williams Came to Town ~ 43 ~ ~ ~
1988 That Old Wheel ~ 21 ~ ~ ~
1989 Ballad of a Teenage Queen ~ 45 ~ ~ ~
1990 Goin' by the Book ~ 69 ~ ~ ~
2003 Hurt ~ 56 ~ 33 39
2005 Folsom Prison Blues ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2005 I Walk the Line ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2005 Ring of Fire ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


[edit] Tours and Concerts

[edit] Announcements

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

[edit] Singles

Year Song Chart positions
US Singles Chart US Country US AC US Modern Rock US Digital Songs US Ringtones UK Singles Chart
1955 "Cry! Cry! Cry!" 14
1956 "Folsom Prison Blues" 4
"Get Rhythm" 1
"I Walk the Line" 17 1
"So Doggone Lonesome" 4
1957 "Don't Make Me Go" 9
"Give My Love to Rose" 13
"Home of the Blues" 88 3
"Next in Line" 99 9
"There You Go" 1
"Train of Love" 7
1958 "All Over Again" 38 4
"Ballad of a Teenage Queen" 14 1
"Big River" 14 4
"Come in Stranger" 66 6
"Guess Things Happen That Way" 11 1
"What Do I Care" 52 7
"You're the Nearest Thing to Heaven" 24 5
"The Ways of a Woman in Love" 24 2
1959 "Don't Take Your Guns to Town" 32 1
"Five Feet High and Rising" 76 14
"Frankie's Man, Johnny" 57 9
"Goodbye Little Darlin'" 22
"I Got Stripes" 43 4
"It's Just About Time" 47 30
"Katy Too" 66 11
"Luther Played the Boogie" 8
"Thanks a Lot" 12
"You Dreamer You" 13
"Little Drummer Boy" 63 24
1960 "Down the Street to 301" 85
"I Love You Because" 20
"Mean Eyed Cat" 30
"Seasons of My Heart" 10
"Second Honeymoon" 79 15
"Smiling Bill McCall" 13
"Straight A's in Love" 84 16
1961 "Oh Lonesome Me" 93 13
"Tennessee Flat-Top Box" 84 11
"The Rebel - Johnny Yuma" 24
1962 "Bonanza" 94
"In the Jailhouse Now" 8
"The Big Battle" 24
1963 "Busted" 13
"Ring of Fire" 17 1
"The Matador" 44 2
1964 "Bad News" 8
"Dark as a Dungeon" 49
"It Ain't Me, Babe" 58 4 28
"Understand Your Man" 35 1
"The Ballad of Ira Hayes" 3
1965 "Mister Garfield" 15
"Orange Blossom Special" 80 3
"The Sons of Katie Elder" 10
1966 "Boa Constrictor" 39
"Everybody Loves a Nut" 96 17
"Happy to Be with You" 9
"The One on the Right Is on the Left" 46 2
1967 "Jackson" (with June Carter) 2
"Long-Legged Guitar Pickin' Man" 6
"You Beat All I Ever Saw" 20
"The Wind Changes" 60
1968 "Folsom Prison Blues" 32 1
"Rosanna's Going Wild" 91 2
1969 "Blistered" 50 4
"Daddy Sang Bass" 42 1
"Get Rhythm" 60 23
"See Ruby Fall" 75 4
"A Boy Named Sue" 2 1 1 4
1970 "Big River" 41
"If I Were a Carpenter" (with June Carter) 36 2
"Rock Island Line" 93 35
"Sunday Morning Coming Down" 46 1
"What Is Truth" 19 3 4 21
1971 "Flesh and Blood" 54 1
"Man in Black" 58 3
"Papa Was a Good Man" 16
"Singin' in Vietnam Talkin' Blues" 18
1972 "If I Had a Hammer" 29
"Kate" 75 2
"Oney" 2
"A Thing Called Love" 2 4
"The World Needs a Melody" 35
1973 "Allegheny" 69
"Any Old Wind That Blows" 3
"Praise the Lord and Pass the Soup" 57
1974 "Pick the Wildwood Flower" 34
"Ragged Old Flag" 31
1975 "Lady Came from Baltimore" 14
"Look at Them Beans" 17
"My Old Kentucky Home (Turpentine and Dandelion Wine)" 42
1976 "One Piece at a Time" 29 1 6 32
"Sold Out of Flagpoles" 29
"Strawberry Cake" 54
1977 "After the Ball" 32
"Lady" 46
"Old Time Feeling" 26
"The Last Gunfighter Ballad" 38
1978 "Gone Girl" 44
"I Would Like to See You Again" 12
"It'll Be Her" 89
"There Ain't No Good Chain Gang" (with Waylon Jennings) 2
1979 "(Ghost) Riders in the Sky" 2
"I Will Rock and Roll with You" 21
"I'll Say It's True" 42
1980 "Bull Rider" 66
"Cold Lonesome Morning" 53
"I Wish I Was Crazy Again" 22
"Song of the Patriot" 54
"The Last Time" 85
1981 "Mobile Bay" 60
"Without Love" 78
"The Baron" 10
1982 "Chattanooga City Limit Sign" 71
"The General Lee" 26
"The Reverend Mr. Black" 71
1983 "I'm Ragged But I'm Right" 75
"We Must Believe in Magic" 84
1984 "Chicken in Black" 45
1986 "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues" 35
1987 "The Night Hank Williams Came to Town" 43
1988 "That Old Wheel" (with Hank Williams Jr.) 21
1989 "Ballad of a Teenage Queen" 45
1990 "Goin' by the Book" 69
1994 "Delia's Gone"
"The Man Who Couldn't Cry" (Live)
1996 "Rusty Cage"
"I've Been Everywhere"
2002 "The Man Comes Around"
2003 "Hurt" 56 33 34 39
2005 "Folsom Prison Blues" 36
"I Walk the Line" 30 19
"Hurt" 18
2006 "God's Gonna Cut You Down"
2007 "Help Me"

[edit] Compilations and Live Releases

List compilation albums, collaboration albums and live releases. Please include recording label, date released, UPC, ASIN.

[edit] Trivia

  • Wears all black clothing where he got the nae Man in Black
  • Always introduced himself with the words "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash".
  • Father of Rosanne Cash.
  • Is the only person besides Hank Williams to have been inducted into the Songwriters, Country Music, and Rock And Roll Halls of Fame.
  • Brother of country singer Tommy Cash.
  • Once had his truck catch on fire and burn down half of a national forest, when the judge asked him why he did it, he said, "I didn't do it, my truck did, and it's dead."
  • In the years shortly before his death, he recorded songs by other contemporary artists, including cover versions ofU2's "One", Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus", Richard Thompson's "Tear Stained Letter", Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water", Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down", Loudon Wainwright III's "The Man Who Couldn't Cry", Ewan MacColl's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" and the song "Thirteen" written especially for him by gothic rocker Glenn Danzig.
  • Recorded entire albums live in Folsom and San Quentin Prisons, in front of highly receptive audiences of convicts.
  • His album "Bitter Tears" contains original songs told from the viewpoint of Native Americans.
  • He chose songs for a running series of compilations of songs that comprised the main themes of his work. The first three compilations are titled "Love", mostly songs he wrote for June Carter Cash, "God", a series of gospels and "Murder", perhaps his favorite subject, but one whose title he encouraged people "not to go out and do". Released slightly later was "Life", mostly songs about hard work and economic struggling.
  • He suffered from a fear of flying and snakes.
  • Father of John Carter Cash.
  • His album, "The Man Comes Around", features his rendition of Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt". Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor admitted that at first he was angry about the cover (as he wrote it from a deeply personal point of view). But when he heard the song and saw the video for the first time, said he was deeply moved and found Cash's cover beautiful and meaningful.
  • Father of Tara Cash
  • Son-in-law of Mother Maybelle Carter.
  • The scar to the right of his mouth was the result of a botched attempt to remove a cyst while he was serving in the Air Force in Germany.
  • Elvis Presley, Hank Williams and Johnny are the only three musicians to have been inducted both to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame.
  • He was addicted to speed (usually with alcohol or morphine as a chaser) through much of his 20s until 1967, when June Carter Cash and numerous members of his friends and family staged an arduous but successful intervention. It is thought that Cash had an addiction personality which he may have inherited from his genes, as many members of his family were addicts to various vices.
  • His songwriting went from a brief process to a very long one as he aged and his health declined. He wrote the song "Big River" while on a short boat-ride across the Hudson River in the 1950s, while he spent weeks crafting "The Man Comes Around," one of the last songs he wrote.
  • Father of Cindy Cash.
  • Brother of Reba Hancock and Joanne Cash Yates.
  • Brother-in-law of Ray Liberto.
  • His size varied considerably over time. Standing 6' 2", he weighed about 200 pounds as a young man, but then his weight plummeted to an unhealthy 140 pounds when his drug addiction was at its peak in the mid-1960s. His weight increased when he kicked his habits, and he eventually became overweight, weighing about 250 pounds by his 50s.
  • Father of Kathy Cash.
  • He went through much of the 1970s on a sanctimonious cloud, having associated himself with evangelists, turned his shows into gospel performances where he encouraged people to accept Jesus Christ and condemned blatant sexuality and violence in culture. Cash said in the 1990s that, although his faith remained as strong as ever and many of his songs expressed this, his attitudes had changes and he found his 1970s overzealousness distasteful, having learned to respect that people should have their own beliefs.
  • He had long since kicked his drug habit when, in a bizarre series of events in the early 1980s, he was attacked by a male Ostrich he had been keeping on his farm after he had threatened the huge bird. He was put onto pain killers to survive the critical injuries and quickly became an addict again. He checked himself into the Betty Ford Clinic, successfully quit pain killers, and made friends with Ozzy Osbourne while at the Clinic.
  • He was often at odds with his producers after he had discovered with his first producer (Sam Phillips) that his voice was better suited to a stripped-down musical style. Most famously he disagreed with Jack Clement over his sound, Clement having tried to give Cash's songs a "twangy" feel and to add strings and barbershop-quartet-style singers. His successful collaboration with Rick Rubin was in part due to Rubin seeking a minimalist sound for his songs.
  • He was friends with every U.S. President starting with Richard Nixon. He was least close with the last two, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, because of a personal distrust for both men and because of his declining health. He was probably closest with Jimmy Carter, who was actually a very close friend and distant family of his wife, June Carter Cash. None of these friendships were about politics, as he never particularly supported any administration but was just friendly with the men.
  • Backed by the "Tennessee Two": Marshall Grant and Luther Perkins. Later named: The Tennessee Three, with W.S. Holland (drums) added. After Perkins' death, he was replaced by Bob Wootton.
  • Step-father of Rosey Nix Adams.
  • He had assumed in his younger days that he was mainly Irish and preferred to think he was at least partially Native-American. However, upon researching his ancestry, he found he was of completely Scottish heritage. As a matter of fact, he found records of direct ancestors in Scotland who shared the name "Cash" dating back to the 16th century.
  • Although he could bear it, he disliked being defined as a "country" artist, feeling that his music wasn't really genre-defined and noting that he often stood well outside of the Nashville mainstream (particularly towards the end of his career). Technically, his music contains elements of rock 'n' roll, folk music, bluegrass, blues and gospel as well as country-style music.
  • Cash and "American Recordings" posted a "thank you" to the Nashville country music industry in Billboard Magazine after winning the Grammy for best country record for "Unchained" in the form of the infamous photo of Johnny angrily giving the middle finger to the camera taken back in 1969 during his San Quentin prison performance. Cash did this because he was enraged by Nashville having pretty much left behind him and other aging "country" artists who had defined the genre to make room for the more pop-oriented new country artists, like Garth Brooks.
  • After the 1950s, when he wrote almost all of the songs he performed, he performed many covers. On the average album, he was the writer of about a third of the songs.
  • Is mentioned in the Danish band Nephew's single "Superliga".
  • His older brother (the sibling Johnny was closest to as a child) died in a horrible accident involving a buzz saw when Johnny was young, and it was never clear whether it was accidental, suicide, or even murder. Wracked with guilt, Johnny, by most accounts, never got over the death (it was a little-known, personal obsession of his to investigate the incident) and it is widely thought that his dark world view was shaped by it.
  • Often had sketches done about him on "Saturday Night Live" (1975). He was usually portrayed by the late Phil Hartman and, later, has been occasionally played by Darrell Hammond. Coincidentally, both funnymen were best known for playing another famous Arkansas native, Bill Clinton.
  • Member of the Highway Men with Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson. The foursome had recorded several albums together in the 1980s and 1990s
  • He was voted the 31st Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Artist of all time by Rolling Stone.
  • When invited to perform at the White House for the first time in 1972, President Richard Nixon's office requested that he play "Okie from Muskogee" (a Merle Haggard song that negatively portrays youthful drug users and war protesters) and "Welfare Cadillac" (a Guy Drake song that derides the integrity of welfare recipients). Cash refused to play either song (he apparently found both songs morally reprehensible) and played a series of his own more left-leaning, politically-charged songs, including "The Ballad of Ira Hayes" (about a brave Native- American World War II veteran who was racially mistreated upon his return to Arizona) and "Man in Black" (which contains angry, anti-war lyrics, which Cash almost certainly wrote about the Vietnam War).
  • During his early shows the "Tennessee Two", he would frequently make mocking introductions of his bandmates. He would introduce laconic guitarist Luther Perkins, who was secretly terrified of performing in public, and add either that he was in "rigor mortis" or that his pulse had been checked beforehand to make sure he was still alive. Then he would introduce bassist Marshall Grant, who would usually hop around and dance with great energy as he chewed gum at shows, as "playing the chewing gum."
  • Cash's career was at an all-time low in the 1980s and he realised his record label of nearly 30 years, Columbia, was growing indifferent to him and wasn't properly marketing him, so to kill the relationship with the label before they did, Cash recorded "Chicken in Black". An intentionally awful song about Johnny's brain being transplanted to a chicken, it ironically turned out to be a larger commercial success than any of his other recent material. However, it wasn't long after "Chicken in Black" that Columbia and Cash parted ways.
  • In his song "Man in Black" he explained that he wore predominately black clothing to honour and remind others of the suffering of the world's poor and oppressed.
  • Was ranked #1 of the 40 greatest men in country music.
  • The video for "Hurt", from the album "The Man Comes Around" was voted greatest music video ever made accoridng to a panel assembled by the UK newspaper "The Guardian".
  • In the 1970s he tried to help his close friend, legendary Nashville guitarist Hank Garland, restart his career by bringing him into the studio to record.
  • Stated in an interview with Larry King that his favorite country singer is Dwight Yoakam.
  • The band Coldplay were supposed to record a song titled "Til Kingdom Comes" with him for their album "XandY", but Cash died before that. They added the song as a hidden track and dedicated it to Cash. In their current "Twisted Logic Tour" they are playing this song in all the venues in addition to playing a cover of Johnny Cash's famous song "Ring of Fire". On the two nights(6 and 7 September 2005) at Madison Square Garden, New York they also dedicated the song "Til Kingdom Comes" to the victims of hurricane Katrina.
  • Kingsland, Arkansas (pop. 477), is also the birthplace of Paul 'Bear' Bryant, one of the greatest football coaches of all time (University of Alabama).
  • Contrary to popular belief, he never served more than one night in prison (he was held once over night in custody after being caught smuggling 1,163 amphetamine tablets across from Mexico). He actually wrote "Folsom Prison Blues" after seeing a documentary called Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison (1951).
  • After his good friend Carl Perkins fell from grace due to a crippling car accident and alcoholism, Johnny took him on a touring guitarist and supported Perkins by performing songs written by him.
  • His good friend Kris Kristofferson admitted that he wrote his well-known and not-entirely-flattering "Pilgrim" about Cash.
  • Stepfather of Carlene Carter.
  • Stepdaughter Rosey Nix Adams, a country music singer, died on Oct. 24, 2003. Cause of death was accidental carbon monoxide poisoning from six heaters on her bus. She was 45.
  • Cash's long-time lakeside home in Hendersonville, Tennessee was bought by a corporation owned by The Bee Gees' Barry Gibb in January 2006.
  • Apart from his performances at Folsom Prison and San Quentin, Cash also performed at Österåkeranstalten (The Österåker Prison) north of Stockholm, Sweden in 1972. The recording was released in 1973. Between the songs Cash can be heard speaking Swedish which was greatly appreciated by the inmates.
  • Mentioned in the song "Life Is a Rock But the Radio Rolled Me" by Reunion.
  • Founded his first band called "Landsberg Barbarians" while being a radio operator of the US Air Force in Landsberg am Lech, Germany.
  • His guitarist, Bob Wootton of The Tennessee Three, acted as Cash's stunt double anytime there was a scene that required him to ride a horse because he had a fear of horses.
  • Proposed to wife June Carter Cash over 30 times before she finally said "Yes".
  • Among "The Highwaymen", Johnny was old friends (or "blood brothers" as he put it) with Waylon Jennings. Kris Kristofferson idolized Cash and the two become close friends while in "The Highwaymen". Cash was least close with Willie Nelson, but the two were always friendly, despite the competitive eye they kept on one another.
  • Johnny's "Hurt" was the theme song of WWE's Raw Tribute to the late Eddie Guerrero. The song plays while Eddie Guerrero's memorial is playing.
  • Along with Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins, he was a member of celebrated "The Million Dollar Quartet". So named because they were money-makers for Sam Phillips's Sun Records Label.
  • Godfather of John Keach, the son of Jane Seymour and James Keach.
  • In the 80s, he found love letters to his wife, June Carter Cash from Elvis Presley in their attic. Upon finding these, he burned them.
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